The Ethics Board is an organization comprised of fourteen undergraduate students and eight full-time faculty members; its primary responsibility is to handle all cases of academic misconduct by undergraduate students. The most common violations include ch eating, plagiarism and forgery; a more comprehensive list of violations can be found in the Ethics Board's Constitution. Penalties for such violations vary depending on the situation. In situations where a dispute cannot be resolved between the professor & student, the Ethics Board is authorized to hear the case, determine guilt or innocence and, if necessary, impose a penalty on guilty students.
The instructors in your courses should, at the beginning of the semester, explain the basic rules concerning the required coursework. Depending on the type of class, this should include rules concerning examinations (ie., which materials are and are not p ermitted), laboratory exercises, reports, papers, and group projects. Make certain that you know exactly what is and what is not permitted in the class. If you are unsure about the rules concerning a particular assignment, do not assume anything; ask your instructor for a clarification. This is especially important for group projects, where students are often allowed to work together but must submit individual reports or papers. Unfortunately, many individuals who have records of academic misconduct simpl y did not understand the rules of an assignment. Don't risk your academic reputation by keeping quiet.
Finally, it is recommended that you read and familiarize yourself with the Ethics Board's Constitution, which can be found on the Ethics Board WWW homepage at http://jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu/~ethicsbd. The homepage also contains additional information for Hopkins students, as well as related articles from institutions around the world. Requests for further information or specific questions may be directed to the Ethics Board Email.